The present invention is directed to a package for electrical devices. The present invention is especially useful in packaging electronic devices such as integrated circuits or similar electrical devices. The present invention provides a small package of increased robustness that is amenable to surface mounting in circuitry in a manner that is economical in its occupation of board space.
Prior art electrical device packages, such as dual in line packages and small outline packages, present contact structures extending from a plastic package body for providing electrical access with the electrical device that is contained within the package body. With such prior art packages, the contact structures are susceptible to bending or breaking during their manufacture or during their being assembled in circuit board arrangements for inclusion in a product. Further, the extension of the contact structures from the package body requires that the package will occupy board space that is larger than the space required for accommodating the package body alone. That is, there is a “real estate” overhead that is incurred by using such prior art packages that have extending contact structures. In today's market manufacturers are ever striving to produce smaller, more compact products. Because of the emphasis on smaller products, real estate occupied by respective components of a product is an important consideration in designing products.
The package of the present invention provides a significant advantage in creating a compact product. The package of the present invention provides a robust component that can endure the rigors of manufacturing and assembly with a significantly lesser likelihood of suffering bent or broken contact structures than is experienced by prior art package designs because the present invention does not present any extended contact structures. The package of the present invention uses less material for establishing electrical access to the electrical device contained within the package than is used with prior art packages. Contact material is often an expensive material, such as gold-plated metal or a similar material. Use of a lesser amount of contact material provides cost savings in the package of the present invention over prior art packaging structures.